IMVU

Posted: November 22, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Ranking:	4,537
Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	72,692

First Seen:	November 22, 2013
Last Seen:	March 8, 2025
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

IMVU is a social networking and entertainment service known for its emphasis on user avatars. While malware experts don't rate the IMVU website as unsafe and only consider the IMVU toolbar to be a PUP (or Potentially Unwanted Program), keeping IMVU-related software off of your PC usually may be considered the best choice for your system's performance and safety. Amongst its other problems, the IMVU toolbar does have a prolonged history of trying to prevent users from removing IMVU, and deleting an IMVU product without suitable anti-malware utilities may be far more difficult than is justified.

IMVU: a Bit of Browser Bling You May not Need

IMVU, a brand most readily identified by its characteristic avatar art, also is an entertainment service that has been associated with PUPs and questionable software even from the start. Originally tied to companies promoting poorly-known search engine websites, IMVU has since shed its links to such companies but retains a reputation for poor business practices. E-mail spam is, perhaps, one of the most harmless nuisances IMVU may be accused of using to its benefit, but malware experts became particularly interested after reports of misbehavior on the part of IMVU's associated browser add-on.

While the IMVU toolbar is a legitimate product that provides increased IMVU accessibility, the IMVU toolbar also avoids deleting itself from your PC when requested, and conducts browser changes to your search engine that remain locked in place as long as the program is installed. Most major browsers may be affected by these changes, which, naturally, are meant to promote IMVU.com. Although malware experts haven't seen any widespread incidents where the IMVU toolbar is installed, IMVU does bribe new users with in-game credits for using the associated toolbar. This makes it easy to get into IMVU – but hard to get out of IMVU.

A View that's Lacking in IMVU

As a site with a stubbornly lengthy and persistent history for displeasing its users, IMVU isn't outright unreliable, but malware researchers certainly would encourage avoiding IMVU when possible. If you've installed the IMVU toolbar and find that (as with most users) the offered uninstallation procedures aren't working, using anti-malware tools to back up your attempts at deleting IMVU software is the quickest and safest way to get your browser re-normalized. You also want to be particularly cautious about any information given to IMVU or its company since there has been a significant number of reports of low-level phishing activities that may result in e-mail spam or other unwanted abuses of your personal information.

Technical Details

Additional Information

The following URL's were detected:

oossautsid.com